Twelve. That’s the number of Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers who are off the mound due to injury. The rotation was supposed to be one of the franchise’s biggest strengths. Instead, they are hitting one roadblock after the other. And Justin Wrobleski just became the latest addition to their injury woes. But one analyst pointed out something more concerning than just the number of injured players. It seems there’s a pattern behind how the Dodgers pitching depth is being tested.
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“This unfortunately happens with the Dodgers. A young starter covers a ton of innings until he breaks,” Dodgers analyst Doug McKain wrote on X. “Happened with Gavin Stone in ’24. Kershaw played the role last year.”
Wrobleski pitched 6.0 innings in the 4-1 defeat against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. That was his fifth loss as a starter this season. But the concern soon went beyond his record as he developed left forearm inflammation. And the Dodgers had to place him on the 15-day IL. This means he is highly unlikely to recover and be fully healthy to return to the mound before the regular season ends.
Justin Wrobleski started 20 games in his 21 appearances this season, and he has already covered 126.1 innings. That’s why the insider is pointing his finger at the Dodgers’ workload management. And McKain said that Wrobleski isn’t the only instance of such issues.
Gavin Stone underwent major right shoulder reconstruction surgery to repair a capsule tear in 2024. He was healthy and made his Cactus League debut in February 2026. But his shoulder inflammation resurfaced, and it’s been almost two years since he played a single game in the majors. The reason? The analyst points to his huge workload in 2024.
Stone had 25 starts in his last season and threw 140.1 innings. McKain also mentioned Clayton Kershaw having a similar challenge. He had quite a high number of innings, but luckily, the veteran didn’t suffer an injury. The youngsters, however, couldn’t endure the demanding stress.
It’s particularly concerning how they are missing so many games in their prime.
Stone is currently 27, and he has not played a single major-league game in almost two years. Wrobleski is only 26. The analyst also emphasized that pitchers like Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow should have rejoined the roster a long time ago. Snell returned after three months; but Glasnow’s return timeline remains unclear.
The Dodgers’ biggest star, Shohei Ohtani, is also serving as DH. The two-way player has been off his pitching duties since July 3 due to knee inflammation. While many thought it resulted from base running, Ohtani mentioned that it was actually his flawed pitching mechanics. He also had a heavy workload, often going over 100 pitches in a game.
This means Justin Wrobleski’s injury and workload management aren’t isolated issues in the franchise. For now, they have recalled RHP Kyle Hurt as a replacement. Meanwhile, they have dropped three of their last four games and lost the series against the Brewers. The overall scenario doesn’t look very promising.